Vol. 266 Tuesday, No. 1 11 June 2019 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Insert Date Here 11/06/2019A00100Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 2 11/06/2019B00100Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 3 11/06/2019B00200Schools Refurbishment � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 3 11/06/2019D00200School Accommodation Provision � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 5 11/06/2019F00200State Airports � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 7 11/06/2019O00100Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 10 11/06/2019O00300An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 10 11/06/2019CC00100Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 25 11/06/2019QQ01500Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 44 SEANAD ÉIREANN Dé Máirt, 11 Meitheamh 2019 Tuesday, 11 June 2019 Chuaigh an Cathaoirleach i gceannas ar 2�30 p�m� Machnamh agus Paidir. Reflection and Prayer. 11/06/2019A00100Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad 11/06/2019A00200An Cathaoirleach: I have received notice from Senator Colm Burke that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter: The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the plans he has for the retrofitting of older schools to modern standards and the provision of solar panels in all schools, particularly in new builds� I have also received notice from Senator Michelle Mulherin of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the provision of additional accommodation for Newtownwhite Educate Together national school, Ballina, County Mayo� I have also received notice from Senator Kieran O’Donnell of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to support the development of European hub connectivity at Shannon Airport in line with Project Ireland 2040 and Brexit preparations� I have also received notice from Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to intervene to ensure that seaweed is not removed from beaches in Fingal and to support local authorities in the development of appropriate beach management plans� I have also received notice from Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to provide an update on the replacement of the defective water pipe network in Gortahork and Falcarragh, County Donegal, under the national leakage reduction programme� 2 11 June 2019 I have also received notice from Senator Maria Byrne of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to make a statement on the provision of HSE fund- ing in the CHO 3 area for new power chairs and the measures being taken to address the waiting list for funding� I have also received notice from Senator Neale Richmond of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to engage with relevant agencies to ensure the delivery of a public amenity space at Stillorgan reservoir� Of the matters raised by the Senators suitable for discussion, I have selected Senators Colm Burke, Mulherin and Kieran O’Donnell and they will be taken now� Senator Clifford-Lee has withdrawn her Commencement matter which I had originally selected� I regret that I had to rule out of order the matters raised by Senators Ó Domhnaill and Richmond on the ground that the Minister has no official responsibility in the matters raised. Senator Byrne may give notice on another day of the matter she wishes to raise� 11/06/2019B00100Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters 11/06/2019B00200Schools Refurbishment 11/06/2019B00300Senator Colm Burke: In the context of the pressing problems arising as a result of climate change, this matter relates to giving leadership within local communities� We need to get the message across that we all can contribute to reversing the damage caused by the burning of fos- sil fuels, etc. We can do so by retrofitting primary schools and installing solar panels in order that they can produce electricity, not only for their own consumption but also for that of the wider community. We need to work hard on this because retrofitting has not been incorporated into the planning permissions granted in respect of some new primary and secondary schools in the past two years� Doing what I suggest would show that leadership is being given at national level and in local communities� 11/06/2019B00400Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills (Deputy John Halligan): On behalf of the Minister, Deputy McHugh, I thank the Senator for raising this very important issue, which gives me the opportunity to outline to the House the Department’s plans for up- grading older schools� As he is aware, the Department will be investing €8�4 billion in school buildings over the lifetime of Project Ireland 2040� The latter will give rise to a 70% increase in the school building budget and this will be targeted at delivering the twin objectives of catering for the continued increase in demographics and a greater focus on refurbishment and upgrade of existing school stock� The Governnent remains committed to delivering existing projects under the schools building programme as soon as possible� Project Ireland 2040 provides the investment necessary to implement the commitments in the Action Plan for Education to reform and modernise the school curriculum by committing to a physical education, PE, hall build and modernisation programme, starting in the second half of the Project Ireland 2040 period, which will ensure that students in all post-primary schools will have access to state-of-the-art PE facilities� This will be particularly apt in the context of the roll-out of PE as a leaving certificate subject. The next phase of the summer works scheme, 3 Seanad Éireann which is currently open for applications, will facilitate a school laboratory modernisation pro- gramme� The Department of Education and Skills has been at the forefront of design with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings since the development of its energy research programme in 1997� Since 2017, it has partnered with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland in an energy-efficient retrofit pilot scheme for schools. This programme is focusing on medium to deep retrofit measures, including fabric, electrical and mechanical upgrades, to improve the energy efficiency of exist- ing schools� The longer-term outcome of the pilot will be to create an accurate and scaleable model for energy-efficient retrofits of schools across Ireland. In the national development plan, €2.5 billion is identified for the refurbishment and con- struction of schools. Part of this is an intention to undertake a deep energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008� This pilot scheme will pave the way for and inform a much larger national schools’ energy retrofit programme based on the range of topical retrofit options that will have been tried and tested during the scheme. Some 16 schools have received energy retrofits under the programme to date� The total expenditure involved was approximately €7 million� For 2019, proposed works for 17 schools are being progressed through tender and contract award stage� The Department’s technical guidance documents, TGDs, set the benchmark for sustainable design in school buildings with a clear focus on energy efficiency. Schools that are designed and built in accordance with the TGDs must achieve an A3 building energy rating� Results show that new schools being built to the 2017 building regulations have A3 building energy ratings and are also - as has been assessed - up to 20% more efficient than required under the existing regulations� All new technologies and approaches are tested to ensure compatibility with school design and operational requirements. Successful and repeated results are then in- corporated into the new school designs and refurbishments� In the interest of sustainability, it is critical that renewable applications are properly suited to schools’ needs and are not just applied for the sake of attaching “renewable” tag to those schools� It is also critical that we minimise the demand for energy before we invest in renewable applications� That is reasonable� This has been assisted in previous years by means of the wall and attic insulation and the water con- servation programmes� The Department of Education and Skills has been using test schools to evaluate the suit- ability of renewable energy options for schools for the past 17 years� More than 40% of the research programme features renewable aspects� All new schools